United States Navy League
160506 NL Board Minutes May 4, 2016
UNITED STATES NAVY LEAGUE
EASTERN SHORE COUNCIL
Minutes of Board Meeting May 4, 2016
The board meeting was called to order by President Bob Lawrence at 12 noon at the Talbot Country Club. Present were Charlie Brooks,Art Cecil,Steve Slack, Jack Sherman, Dick Gnospelius, and John Dillon. Absent were Hamish Osborne, Mike Bracy, and Tom Nelson.
The April 6, 2016 meeting minutes were approved.
Bob reported that the May 10, 2016 Dinner speaker will be CDR Rick Campbell USN Ret., as previously scheduled. Rick Campbell is a retired submariner (20 years), who has published three hardcover submarine novels. The Council recommendation was unanimously approved.
Members of the Council have read all three novels, and they are excellent, skillful reading.
Bob then discussed the need for speakers for the fall meetings. His recommendation that the September meeting be Capt. Owens Walker USN, a USNA faculty member, was enthusiastically approved. He will speak on cyber security.
A second Naval Academy Professor - CDR John Stevens USN - has accepted our offer for the October 2016 Dinner Meeting.
There was suggestion we approach USNA Athletic Department to acquire a keynote speaker from that Department. That will need to be a Spring opportunity, as our Fall Schedule is now committed. We had several very fine volunteers who could not be accommodated.
Charlie Brooks delivered the Treasurer’s report. Our cash balance at 12/31/15 was $7326, down from $9465 a year earlier. The decline was accounted for by the fact that the chapter only breaks even (at best) at our dinner meetings and that we have about $3000 of unfinanced expenditures, consisting mostly of awards, scholarships, and donations to Recreation funds. After discussion, it was decided to raise the cost of the dinners to $35 (starting in May) and to explain to the members what we spend money on and to solicit donations to cover them.
Cash Balance as of April 30, 2016 was $7744.76.
Steve Slack will coordinate the relationships with the Easton HS NJROTC and the Pocomoke HS MCJROTC. The possibility of coordinating a field trip to the Naval Academy Museum or the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum was discussed. There was insufficient interest to pursue any actions this Summer. Donating each unit a subscription to Sea Power was discussed.
Art Cecilwill coordinate relations with USCG Station, Oxford. He has successfully recruited their leadership interests.
Because of the planned reseeding at TCC golf course and the distance from Kings Bay, the golf outing will not be held this year. There was no interest in arranging a Summer event.
Jack Sherman will pursue our Council being invited to attend the Commissioning Ceremonies of the USS ZUMWALT in Baltimore Harbor October 15, 2016. We are on track to succeed, and be invited. Our interest will be to sponsor a member of the ZUMWALT Class, which remains Home-Stationed in the Norfolk East Coast Area.
We continue to sponsor the USS MARYLAND, and do appreciate he complications due to her Home Port being Kings Bay Georgia.
We will consider attending the US Naval Academy rendition of ‘The Messiah’, on weekend of December 3rd and 4th, 2016.
[Army-Navy Game will be the following weekend.]
The Christmas dinner will be December 13, 2016. The Anne ArundelArea ChristianSchool Boys Choir has been committed for the evening. John Dillon was instrumental in this success.
The next board meeting will be September 7, 2016, at TCC.
Today’s meeting adjourned at 2:10 PM.
Bob Lawrence, for
Michael Bracy, Secretary
Who was absent.